Apparatus for machines for the automatic production of postal envelopes

ABSTRACT

An automatic postal envelope making machine of the type having a drive for varying the echelon widths of envelopes during their passage through successive stations of the machine includes a mechanical coupling for driving the envelope conveyors of each station in a predetermined speed ratio, and an automatically controlled draw key change speed gear connected to drive the mechanical coupling.

United States Patent [1 1 Ehlscheid July 29, 1975 APPARATUS FOR MACHINES FOR THE AUTOMATIC PRODUCTION OF POSTAL ENVELOPES [75] Inventor: Gunter Ehlscheid,Neuwied,

Germany [73] Assignee: Winkler & Dunnebier Maschinenfabrik und Eisengiesserei KG, Neuwied am Rhine, Germany [22] Filed: Dec. 20, 1973 [21] Appl. No.1 426,740

[52] US. Cl. 93/61 AC; 93/62 [51] Int. Cl B3lb H08 [58] Field of Search 93/61 R, 61 AC, 61 A, 62,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,987,099 Williams et a1. 93/61 AC 3,379,103 4/1968 Treff 93/61 AC 3,550,510 12/1970 Lenk et al... 93/61 R 3,683,757 8/1972 Lenk 93/61 AC Primary ExaminerRoy Lake Assistant Examiner.lames F. Coan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak [57] ABSTRACT An automatic postal envelope making machine of the type having a drive for varying the echelon widths of envelopes during their passage through successive stations of the machine includes a mechanical coupling for driving the envelope conveyors of each station in a predetermined speed ratio, and an automatically controlled draw key change speed gear connected to drive the mechanical coupling.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJULZQIBYS 3 898,712 SHEET 1 97 U4 z/ w 4.4 1 A v] w PATENTED JUL 2 9 I975 SHEET 4 APPARATUS FOR MACHINES FOR THE AUTOMATIC PRODUCTION OF POSTAL ENVELOPES The invention relates to an apparatus for use in machines for the automatic production of postal envelopes, bags and the like of varying size and form, for varying the echelon unit width of the blanks in the region of the echeloning or staggering station, the closure flap gumming station, the blank drawing station which follows the gumming station, and the drying line or section, by varying the speed of the conveying means which move the blanks, and whose driving shafts are connected by gearing with the main machine shaft.

Machines for the automatic production of postal envelopes are known. In one such machine, a plurality of stations are situated one behind the other, for transforming the blanks which are moved through the machine in a single uninterrupted pass to form finished postal envelopes or the like, these stations being combined to form a single unit.

These stations include an echeloning station in the region of the closure flap gumming station, a blank drawing station, and a drying line. The finish printed blanks, which may be provided with a window section, are supplied individually to the echeloning station. In the echeloning station the blanks are laid above one another in such a manner that all that is exposed of each blank is the closure flap edge which is at the rear in the direction of conveyance, to a width which corresponds to the desired gumming width. Echeloned in this way, the blanks are guided through the closure flap gumming station which applies the gum. The echeloning station transfers the blanks to the blank drawing station. When they are transferred the echelon unit width is slightly increased, so that the blanks are spaced at a greater distance in the direction of conveyance than the gumming width. The blank drawing station transfers the blanks to the drying line, and the echelon unit width is again increased.

The blank conveying means in the individual stations must convey the blanks at such a speed that the necessary echelon unit width and the gumming width are kept constant. It is known for this purpose to drive the conveying means of each station from the main machine shaft by means ofa gearing in each case (German Pat. Specification No. 831,496).

At least some of the stations of a machine for the automatic production of postal envelopes or the like are adjusted precisely to the dimensions and the construction of the postal envelopes which are being produced. Hitherto, the adjustment of a machine of this kind to different dimensions and a different construction of envelope has been carried out usually by hand. Recently, however, proposals have also been made for the semiautomatic or fully automatic adjustment of the machine. When the machine is adjusted to an envelope which in all dimensions and other features differs from the envelopes previously produced whether or not this adjustment is carried out by hand or semiautomatically in accordance with introduced data or fully automatically in accordance with a programme not only do all the stations which determine the width of the envelope (tranversely to the direction in which the blanks are conveyed through the machine) for example the drying line, side flap pre-forming station, side flap folding station etc., have to be adjusted to the new width and all the stations which determine the height (in the direction of conveyance through the machine) of the postal envelope, for example bottom flap pre-forming station, bottom flap folding station, closure flap pre-forming station, closure flap folding station etc., have to be adjusted to the new height, but also the rotational speeds in the drives of the stations have to be modified, which determine the width of the adhesive applied to the closure flap, the echeloning in the drying line, and the thickness of gum applied.

It is laborious to re-adjust the rotational speeds, that is to say the speed of conveyance, at the echeloning station, the blank drawing station and the drying line in the known machines with individual gear units driven from the main machine shaft, since several gear units have to be replaced or converted or changed-over and also adapted to one another.

The invention has as its object to improve a machine of the type described hereinbefore so that it is simple to change the speeds of conveyance. This object is achieved according to the invention in that the conveying devices of all or most of the individual stations are coupled with one another in a pre-determined speed ratio, and that in the driving shaft of one of the conveying devices there is arranged a draw key change-speedgear whose gear adjusting spindle is adapted to be moved by an adjusting motor which itself is controlled by an adjustable travel-limiting device.

Owing to the construction provided by the invention, by only one gear change the conveying speeds of several stations, which have to be adapted to one another as regards their speed of conveyance, can be modified. After the change-over, the correct ratio of the speeds of conveyance in the echeloning station, blank drawing station and drying line is maintained. Also the requirements as regards gear units are reduced. Controlling the adjusting motor by means of an adjustable travellimiting device results in a semi-automatic execution of the re-adjusting operation, and provides the necessary machine conditions for fully automatic re-adjustment.

In an advantageous development of the invention it is proposed that the adjusting motor comprises a hydraulic or pneumatic unit whose piston rod, which is adapted to be displaced, is capable of being locked by a locking device when pre-determined positions are reached. With this construction, the operating reliability and robustness of hydraulic or pneumatic regulating elements is usefully employed for re-adjustment, operating safety in the production of postal envelopes being ensured by the locking device.

But it is also proposed that the adjusting motor comprises an electric motor which drives an axially mobile adjusting spindle which, on reaching pre-determined positions, switches off the adjusting motor and locks the adjusting spindle. This arrangement is particularly suitable when the other regulating elements of the machine are also electrically operated.

The control of the adjusting motor is advantageously effected by a desired valve/actual valve comparator circuit.

One constructional example of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in detail hereinafter.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a diagramatic section along the longitudinal centre line of a machine according to the invention, only one end of the machine being shown;

FIG. 2 shows a diagramatic section along the longitudinal centre plane of a machine according to the invention, the end being shown which is opposite that which is shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a diagramatic view of the driving means of the stations shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a diagramatic view of the driving means of the stations shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show echeloned postal envelope blanks with different echelon unit widths.

In the drawings, those parts of the machine which are not useful for explaining the invention have been omitted.

The finish cut blanks, which may also be printed and provided with a window section, pass through an echeloning station 1, which is preceded by a closure flap gumming station 2, then a blank drawing station 3 and then a drying line 4 (FIG. 1). From the drying line, the blanks are transferred to a station 5 for conducting the echeloned blanks upwards, which are then transferred in the direction indicated by the arrow (FIG. 2) to further processing stations of the machine. Of the individual stations 1, 3, 4 and 5, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 only the conveying means and the driving and guiding rollers or cylinders of the said stations have been shown.

Before the blanks reach the echeloning station 1, they are situated individually on the circumferance of a plurality of echeloning discs 6 which are carried and rotated by a common shaft. A pair of feed rollers 7 and 8 takes each blank singly from the echeloning discs 6 and conducts it to the echeloning station 1.

The echeloning station comprises two belts which are guided and driven in the same way, of which only the rear belt 11 is shown in FIG. 1. The belt 11 is guided about guide rollers 12, 13, 14 and 15, is tensioned by a tensioning roller 16 and driven by a driving roller 17. Over the belt 11 and the second belt pressure rollers 18 are arranged which press the echeloned blanks against the belts. The two belts convey the blanks along the path from the guide roller to the guide roller 14, and in so doing through the gumming station 2.

The gumming station 2 comprises a gum trough 21 from which the gum is taken by a take-up roller 22 which passes it on to an intermediate roller 23 from where the gum is applied to the gum application roller 24. The gum application roller applies the gum to the closure flap edges which have remained exposed in the echelon arrangement, in the form of a continuous film.

The blank drawing station 3 which follows the echeloning station 1 in the direction of conveyance is constructed in a similar way to the echeloning station. The drawing station comprises two belts which are driven and guided in the same way, only the rear belt 31 being shown in FIG. 1. The belt 31 is guided about guide rollers 32, 33 and 34 and over guide rollers 38, is tensioned by a tensioning roller 35, and driven by a driving roller 36. Over the belt 31 and the associated second belt there are arranged pressure rollers 37 which press the echeloned blanks against the belts. By means of the two belts of the drawing station 3, the blanks are conveyed along the path of travel from the guide roller 32 to the guide roller 33.

From the drawing station 3 the blanks are transferred to the drying line 4. The drying line comprises two upper roller chains of which only the rear upper roller chain 41 is shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, and also two lower roller chains, of which again only the rear roller chain 42 is shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The two upper roller chains are driven by driving chain wheels 43 and tensioned by tensioning chain wheels 45. The two lower roller chains are driven by driving chain wheels 44'and tensioned by tensioning chain wheels 46. The runs of the roller chains which face towards one another are fitted with gripping surfaces between. which the echeloned blanks are held, and are supported by guide rails not shown in the drawings, whereas the other runs of the said chains are supported by supporting chain wheels 47 and supporting rollers 48.

The station 5 for guiding the echeloned blanks upwards comprises two internal belts of which the rear internal belt 51 is shown in FIG. 2 which are guided about a driven drum 52, several guide rollers 53, 54 and 55, several supporting rollers 57, and guide rollers 56. This station also comprises two external belts of which the rear external belt 61 is shown in FIG. 2 and these abut on the internal belts, a spacing being shown only for reasons of clarity, and are guided over a plurality of guide rollers 62, 63, 64 and 65 and 66. The echeloned postal envelope blanks are held between the parts of the belts 51 and 61 which are adjacent one another.

The stations 1, 3, 4 and 5 are operated with conveying speeds which are adapted to one another. The conveying speed in the echeloning station 1 is substantially lower than the conveying speed of the echeloning discs 6. As a result, there is a deliberate accumulation in the echeloning station, with the effect that the blanks 9 overlap one another to a considerable extent in the echeloning station, and of each blank there remains exposed only a strip at the closure flap edge corresponding to the gumming width, on which gum is applied (FIG. 5). The blank drawing station conveys slightly more quickly than the echeloning station, so that the blanks are drawn apart from one another to some extent and the echelon unit width is increased. In this way the closure flap gumming strips of successive blanks are separated from one another (FIG. 6). The drying line again conveys slightly more quickly so that the echelon unit width is again increased (FIG. 7). The station 5 conveys at the same speed as the drying line.

According to the invention the drives of the station 1, 3 4 and 5 are coupled together, power being supplied to the coupled drives from a draw key gear (FIG. 4).

A drive output shaft 71 of the draw key 70 rotates a worm 81 which is in engagement with a worm wheel 82 secured on a rotatable shaft 58 on which the drum 52 is mounted. Also arranged on the shaft 58 is a chain wheel 83 which by way of a chain 84, two chain wheels 85, 86 connected with one another and a further chain 87, drives a shaft (not shown) on which a gear wheel 88 is arranged. The gear wheel 88 is in engagement with a gear wheel 89 which engages with a gear wheel 90. The gear wheel 89 is arranged on a shaft 49 on which the driving chain wheels 43 of the upper roller chains 41 are secured, whereas the gear wheel 90 drives the lower roller chains 42 by means of a common shaft 50. Also arranged on the shaft of the gear wheel 88 is a bevel gear wheel (not shown) which is in engagement with a second bevel gear wheel 91 on the end of a shaft 92. In FIG. 4 the roller chains 41 and 42 and also the belt 51 are broken away where a complete view would hinder a view onto the gear parts.

On the other end of the shaft 92 there is arranged a bevel gear wheel 93 which is engagement with a bevel gear wheel 94 (FIG. 3). A gear wheel (not shown) connected with a bevel gear wheel 94 is in engagement with a gear wheel 95 which by way of intermediate wheels 96 and 97 drives a gear wheel 98. The gear wheel 95 is arranged on a shaft 39 on which the driving rollers 36 of the station 3 are also arranged, and the gear wheel 98 is arranged on a shaft 19 which also carries the driving rollers 17 of the station I.

The line of drive explained with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 from the drive output shaft 71 to the gear wheel 98 ensures coupling of the drives of the stations 1, 3, 4 and 5. By suitable choice of the transmission ratios in this line of drive the desired relationships for the echelon unit widths in the various stations can be ensured.

The draw key gear 70 shown diagrammatically in FIG. 4 comprises four different transmission ratios between a driving shaft 72 and the drive output shaft 71. A speed change at the draw key gear is carried out by axial displacement of an adjusting spindle 73 in the hollow-construction drive output shaft 71. Depending on the position of the adjusting spindle, one of the gear wheels which is otherwise freely rotatable on the drive output shaft is connected fast in rotation with the drive output shaft by a draw key at the end of the adjusting spindle. The displacement of the non-rotatable adjusting spindle is effected by rotation of a rotatably mounted sleeve 74 which is provided with an internal screw thread which is in engagement with an external screwthread on the adjusting spindle. The sleeve 74 is driven by way of two gear wheels by an electrical adjusting motor 75. It is also possible for the displacement of the adjusting spindle to be carried out by a hydraulic piston motor with a connecting rod.

The adjusting spindle is provided with a locking device. At its free end, the adjusting spindle 73 comprises an extension 76 which is provided with recesses in which a tooth of a spring-loaded latch 77 can engage. For unlocking the latch, there is provided a solenoid 78 which can draw the latch tooth out of the recess in opposition to the action of a spring 79. The extension 76 is also provided with a tooth system which engages with an adjusting pinion 80 of an actual value potentiometer. It is also possible as travel datum sources to provide other conventional devices such as for example devices of an inductive type.

The adjusting motor is controlled by means of a control circuit to which the actual value is supplied by the actual value potentiometer and the desired value by a desired value potentiometer. As long as there is any deviation between the values, the solenoid 78 is energised and the adjusting motor supplied. When the actual value potentiometer indicates the desired value, the adjusting motor and solenoid are switched off so that the displacement of the adjusting spindle is not continued, and the adjusting spindle is locked by the latch 77. But it is also possible to provide as many fixedly set desired value potentiometers as there are stages in the draw key gear. By operating an associated push-button switch the selected desired value potentiometer is connected into the control circuit, so that the draw key gear is adjusted to the selected stage.

With fully automatic re-setting of the machine, all the necessary information for the new adjustment are fed by means of data carriers into a central control unit which then gives the necessary desired value to the control circuit of the adjusting motor 75.

I claim:

1. In a machine for the automatic production of postal envelopes of the type including an echeloning station, a closure flap gumming station, a blank drawing station, and a drying station through which envelope blanks are successively moved by conveyors, means for varying the echelon unit width of the blanks in each of the stations and for varying the speed of the envelope blank conveyors through the stations with the same relative variance of echelon width, the means comprising: a drive shaft connected to drive the blank conveyor at one of the stations; mechanical drive connections from the conveyor at the drive shaft connected station to one of the other stations and from that station to the conveyor at the next station through all of the stations in a predetermined speed ratio so that the conveyor at each station provides a desired echelon width which may vary from the echelon width at another station, a draw key speed change gear in the drive shaft having an axially movable adjusting spindle to effect a speed change in the drive shaft, a controllable motor connected to drive the adjusting spindle, and means for locking the adjusting spindle in desired position.

2 A machine as in claim 1, wherein the controllable motor is an electric motor and the spindle locking means is a spring bias solenoid operated pawl cooperating with teeth on the adjusting spindle. 

1. In a machine for the automatic production of postal envelopes of the type including an echeloning station, a closure flap gumming station, a blank drawing station, and a drying station through which envelope blanks are successively moved by conveyors, means for varying the echelon unit width of the blanks in each of the stations and for varying the speed of the envelope blank conveyors through the stations with the same relative variance of echelon width, the means comprising: a drive shaft connected to drive the blank conveyor at one of the stations; mechanical drive connections from the conveyor at the drive shaft connected station to one of the other stations and from that station to the conveyor at the next station through all of the stations in a predetermined speed ratio so that the conveyor at each station provides a desired echelon width which may vary from the echelon width at another station, a draw key speed change gear in the drive shaft having an axially movable adjusting spindle to effect a speed change in the drive shaft, a controllable motor connected to drive the adjusting spindle, and means for locking the adjusting spindle in desired position.
 2. A machine as in claim 1, wherein the controllable motor is an electric motor and the spindle locking means is a spring bias solenoid operated pawl cooperating with teeth on the adjusting spindle. 